NFL
By: Raynard Churchwell
Over 45,000 people traveled to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to witness the sixth annual Celebration Bowl on Saturday. Whether it was Greek organizations stepping, good food being cooked, or alums cheering on their teams; the Celebration Bowl was filled with fun and excitement. As for the game, the 6-5 South Carolina State Bulldogs shocked the world as they defeated the highly favored 11-1 Jackson State Tigers 31-10. The win continues dominance for the MEAC conference as they have now won five of the six Celebration Bowls.
The game started with strong defensive play from both teams. Early drives would stall as both teams struggled to gain momentum. In the middle of the first quarter, the Tigers struck first as quarterback Shedeur Sanders connected with wide receiver Keith Corbin on a seven-yard touchdown. SCSU made some big plays in the quarter but could not put any points on the board.
In the second quarter, JSU started off playing with swagger. The Tiger defense made a statement with free safety Shilo Sanders snagging an interception early in the quarter. However, the Bulldogs showed that they had come to compete. The Bulldog defense began to mix up coverages confusing the Tiger offense. This caused miscues and made the Tiger offense ineffective. SCSU’s offense came alive in the quarter as quarterback Corey Fields Jr. connected with wide receiver Shaqaun Davis on a six-yard touchdown pass. This would tie the game at seven apiece. Towards the end of the half, the Bulldog defense came up big with defensive end Jeblonski Green forcing a fumble in Tiger territory. SCSU kicker Gavyn Zimmerman knocked a 26-yard field goal through the uprights to take a 10-7 lead going into halftime.
As the second half began, you could feel a different vibe in the stadium. While many people predicted the game to be a blowout, it was clear the Bulldogs came to play. The Bulldog defense continued to dominate in the third quarter. A few minutes into the quarter, SCSU defensive back Kendall Moultrie caught an interception on the Tiger 15-yard line. With the Bulldog offense having a short field to work with, Fields found Davis on a 16-yard pass for his second touchdown of the day. This made the score 17-7. On the Tigers next offensive drive, things would go from bad to worse. Sanders was hit while throwing the ball, and SCSU linebacker Aaron Smith caught it for another interception. The Bulldog offense continued to pile on the points as wide receiver Richard Bailey brought in a 15-yard catch for the touchdown. The touchdown made the score 24-7 to stun the JSU squad.
Despite the score, the Tigers continued to play hard. The defense continued to make plays as defensive back Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig forced a fumble. The Tiger offense made their way downfield, and Bailey Rabron knocked a 36-yard field goal through the uprights to end the quarter. SCSU led the contest 24-10 going into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, both defenses came out strong. The only points scored came on the dagger touchdown as Shaquan Davis caught his third touchdown pass of the game. This made the score 31-10 and sealed the upset victory for the Bulldogs.
SCSU’s Shaquan Davis was named MVP as he put on a record performance. The sophomore receiver was a nightmare all game, as he caught nine passes for 95 yards and a Celebration Bowl-record three touchdown receptions. The Bulldog defense also had an outstanding game as they held the high-powered JSU offense to only 194 total yards and forced three turnovers.
After the game, JSU Head Coach Deion “Primetime” Sanders admitted that the Tigers may have been overconfident going into the game.
“South Carolina State kicked our butt,” Sanders said. “Every way, every fashion, they were more physical than us, more disciplined than us. We were overconfident and felt like they were just going to hand us the game. My hats off to everybody involved for South Carolina State especially their secondary.”
SCSU Head Coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough explained what this championship win meant for the program and how he hopes to build on it.
“It’s another start of a tradition of SCSU football,” Pough said. “We’ve had a lot of good times. It was a wonderful day for our university and our athletics department and hopefully, we can continue to build on this win and improve the facilities and other things that can make this last a long time.”
